About Our Oregon Winery

Our Vineyard

Nysa Vineyard sits at 600-720 feet elevation in the Dundee Hills of Oregon's northern Willamette Valley. The vineyard spans 40 acres of volcanic Jory soil with basalt bedrock 8 to 12 feet below the surface. The high percentage of clay combines with soil depth to hold moisture late into the season, permitting dry farming.

We planted the first nine acres in 1990 to own-rooted Pommard and Wadenswil Pinot noir. In 2000, we planted four acres of phyloxera-resistant rootstock grafted to the 115 Dijon clone, with an additional nine acres of Pommard on resistant rootstock planted after 2004.

We will cultivate 33 acres total, allowing production of no more than 3500-4500 cases per vintage.

Our People

Nysa Vineyard is a family-owned operation founded in 1990. Oregon Pinot Noir from Nysa is also sold to Torri Mor, Ken Wright Cellars, Antica Terra, Scott Paul, White Rose, and Chapter 24.

The Story

Dionysus' mortal mother, Semele, was so beautiful that Zeus could not keep from spending many evenings with her away from his wife Hera. Hera took her revenge on his lust by putting in Semele's mind the demand to see her lover Zeus in his true form, as God, and not disguised as her handsome night visitor.

Semele held her affections one night until Zeus pledged an oath on the river Styx to grant whatever she requested; the next morning she awaited her lover's promise. Hera knew no mortal would live once they saw God unveiled. Sadly, Zeus fulfilled his solemn pledge and Semele instantly died.

But Zeus snatched from her womb the unborn product of their joy, Dionysus. Hiding the fetus from Hera in his thigh was possible for only a short time. He gave the child to Hermes to hide away in Nysa, a land of mythic beauty, where seven nymphs of divine descent (Ambrosia, Eudora, Phaisyle, Koronis, Polyxo, and Thyone) raised the half god to manhood.

Surrounded by the beauties of Nysa with its fabulous fruit trees and vineyards, leafy evergreens in which birds sing more enchantingly than any man-made music, the youth was indulged by those forever young, lithe-limbed, nymphs who were often dancing, and racing, and making vigorous love with Satyrs. Perhaps growing up in that paradise, learning the art of the vine, motivated him to share its pleasures with us mortals.